WORS Recap - it's a LONG one

Today I took time to reflect on my WORS career and how far I've come. I came from a completely non-athletic background. . . .orchestra and forensics in high school (your typical "geek") and eased my way into biking back in 2000 when we purchased my first bike. I think it was a Huffy and it weighted like 48 pounds (or that's what it felt like at least). But I was determined to at least TRY, because my husband wanted to get into it, and I figured if I ever wanted to see him, I'd have to learn myself.

Riding here and there, falling a TON, I moved up to a Mongoose bike and Bill decided it would be good for me to graduate to clipless pedals. My first ride I fell a million times, and got so angry I tried to throw my bike. . . .unfortunately it was while I was still clipped IN. I thought I'd NEVER get it.

2001 had me doing the first few races as pre-rides and then deciding what the heck. . . .let's TRY to race. My first race was the WORS cup. . . .race #4 of the season. I was terrified. I had no clue how to race much less how to RIDE. Out of 78 Citizen women, I finished 53rd overall and 6th in age. Some girl named AMY PIKALEK WON the overall at that race. She was in my age group, but I had no idea who she was. 2001 had me finishing the season and getting a good taste of mountain biking. I obtained so many cuts, scrapes and bruises people thought I was being abused at home. I was on the ground or flying over my handle bars more than I was ON the bike but I kept on trying. In fact, I ended up finishing 3rd in age. . . .right behind that Amy girl (and I STILL had no idea who she was). I figured if I could finish 3rd in age, I could move up to Sport. People tried to talk me out of it, but when I have something in my head. . . . .I'm going to do what I'm going to do. So up I went.

2002 had me getting my ASS handed to me every single race, wondering why the HELL I even tried. A GOOD finish for me that year was somewhere mid pack. But I continued to learn how to ride, and how to fall. . . . .and slowly I started to develop SOME fitness. Towards the end of the year I took on a coach (Jeff Melcher) and started on a "REAL" workout plan. I was determined.

2003 proved to be a growing year, with finishes all over the board. Now midpack was pretty common, and my best overall finish ever came this year. . . .at Sheboygan. 39 sport women and I finished 3rd overall, 1st in age. I was ecstatic. I still fell a lot throughout the season. . . .but the falls were getting a little less often and I was able to spend more time ON the bike than off. I was starting to get the concept of "skills". . . . .and my training plan was slowly starting to show improvements in my fitness level.

2004 was spent trying to develop some of those skills so critical to mountain biking. My finishes were now consistently top 20, with a good race being top 15 (Sheboygan was ALWAYS the exception finishing 8th overall this year). This was the year I learned who Ulla Gonzalez was. . . .and we started to watch each other's finishes. She was better than I was, but on a GOOD day I could give her a run for her money.

2005 was the year it finally all started to come together. The countless hours spent in the gym, on the trainer, outside on my bike. The hours I devoted to skills training, core training and furthering my fitness level. I sought out others to ride with so I could learn from them. . .be pushed by them. . . and push myself. Ulla and I spent a lot of time riding together and this was the year I finally learned who AMY PIKALEK was. She had taken a brief hiatus from racing and was back again on her single speed and we rode nicely together. This was the year of the top 10 finishes. On a good day I came close to cracking the top 5, with 2-6th place finishes, 2-7th place finishes, 1-8th place finish and 1-9th place finish. I was motivated, inspired and LOVED my bike. My skill set had FINALLY developed, my fitness level had finally developed and I had lost about 10 pounds since the beginning of my biking career. I was "good" and others started to know my name.

2006 had me continue to grow with my skill set steadily improving, my weight was still dropping and my fitness was still growing. The year started out with consistent top 10 finishes putting me on the path to my ultimate goal, which was to crack the top 5, and to do it more than once. Then out of no where I started experiencing severe back pains. I saw a noticeable drop in my power on the bike and my ability to "hammer". Soon that grew to the point where I could hardly stand once off my bike and several hours after a hard work out I was in tears from the pain radiating from my butt, shooting down my leg. I developed what my friends so affectionately termed "the Brittany shuffle" where it would take me a good minute or two to actually get up after sitting. It hurt to sit, it hurt to lay down, it hurt to ride. So off to the Dr I went.

July 5th I was told I had a bulging disk and the worse thing I could do was keep riding my bike. I saw an orthopedic surgeon who explained my nerves were being pinched by this (these) disks and that I was at risk for experiencing long term nerve damage if I didn't hold up and try to recover. I thought I was gong to DIE. I was told to spend a minimum of 6 weeks off my bike. . . .NO workouts, no weights, no riding, just recovery. I didn't want to do it, but my body told me it was the ONLY option. . . .unless I wanted to undergo orthopedic surgery.

That was one of the hardest times of my life. I questioned who I was. . . .what my existence was for. . . I never realized I had turned into one of "those" people. . . .the kind that NEEDED to work out to feel complete. I missed my bike so much I had to put it out of sight. I clipped my WORS plate off and cried. Every race I went to I longed to be racing. I tried to be an upbeat spectator and cheer on my fellow racers but inside I felt "incomplete".

Then after more than 6 weeks OFF the bike and 2 epidural steroid injections, I was given clearance to SLOWLY start returning to "normal" life. I was told I needed to be careful with my workouts now so as to not fall back where I was. My first ride felt wonderful and I cried. I couldn't believe how much I missed it. And slowly but surely I started riding a little more. . . . .and enjoying myself a little more each time.

Over 3 months later I'm still limited to how long I can ride. . . how hard I can ride. . . and how many days in a row I can stack. I still experience some mild symptoms of the sciatica I had. . . .the tingling in the foot. . .the aching in the buttock, etc, but I continue to take each day on it's own, and ride when I can and hope for the best.

This year derailed me off "the plan" and while I managed to make a comeback and rely on the "skills" I had developed to continue to finish in the top 10, it wasn't the year I had "planned" for. My fitness level isn't where it was even at the beginning of the year, and that's a hard pill to swallow. When you have realistic goals, ones you KNOW you are capable of achieving and something you can't control stands in your way, it's a very frustrating process. Dropping into a cyclocross race where you USED to finish very WELL, where you WON the series last year, and having it handed to you is a very demoralizing thing. Knowing you aren't able to go "hammer" on the road with people you USED to ride with is tough. To let go of your fitness, and put faith in the fact that someday you'll get back there has been a tough process for me.

But despite the "temporary" setbacks this year has thrown at me, and despite the GREAT competition I had in my age group, this year was the first year I stood on the 2nd step of the podium at the end of the year. And even though my overall finishes weren't where I had hoped they would be. . . .I was proud to be there.

Tomorrow is another day. . . .next week may be different. . . .next year I may look back from the top 5 and laugh at how "down" I felt during this process. But one never knows. 2006 allowed me to grow in other areas. . . .and to grow as a person OFF the bike. Now I'm hoping 2007 will allow me to put ALL these things together and "ROCK OUT" as we say. But for now, I'll just take it ONE DAY AT A TIME and be glad I can ride.